


The Heart of Darkness

by Lillielle



Category: American McGee's Alice
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-26
Updated: 2012-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-19 14:58:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/574538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lillielle/pseuds/Lillielle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A/U of Alice: Madness Returns (I own nothing)</p>
<p>The Red Queen is back...in a way. She has one last favor to ask of Alice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Heart of Darkness

Alice's steps automatically slow when she reaches the crumbled ruins of the Queen's castle. Even after so many years, nothing dares grow through the cracked stones and dusty masonry. A crumpled card still flutters in the breeze and Alice reaches out, plucking it free. The Queen of Hearts. Of course. A soft snort escapes her lips and she smooths out the card's creases, tucking it firmly into her blood-stained apron pocket. On the other side, the vorpal blade rests, a softly reassuring weight.

Nobody understand why she has come out this way. The Infernal Train has finally been stopped. Dr. Bumby rests beneath the train tracks, and the Dollmaker has been shut down once and for all. There is no reason to come to the ruins of Queensland. And yet...Alice feels drawn back. She's never managed to get this far before. Always before, she's turned back, unable to face the grim remnants of the Queen's reign.

She can face it now, though. She still remembers Lizzie on the train, shrieking in her final moments. Showing her exactly what she'd missed. How had she been so blind? Alice ruefully shakes her head and continues picking her way through the rubble, making for the throne room. She doesn't know why exactly, she just knows that she belongs there.

The throne is still intact somehow, stark against the surrounding desolation. Dark bloodstains trail down both sides in splotches and spatters, making Alice feel a bit ill. Wonderland is still so badly damaged, she has no idea if it will ever be anywhere near the way it used to be. Before the Infernal Train. Before the fire. Before...Lizzie.

A sigh heaves her shoulders and she delicately picks her way through the destruction, clambering up onto the throne. It is cold, despite the warmth of the sun beating down on her head. She idly wonders why that is as she takes out the Queen of Hearts card once more, still trying to smooth the creases out. Lizzie's face glares up at her from the card, cold, regal. A royal face.

"Alice..." a voice echoes through her ears and Alice looks around, heart thumping. She could have sworn no one has followed her. That no one would want to follow her, really. Not even the damnable Cat. She sees no one, though.

"Alice, Alice, Alice," the voice singsongs. It is familiar. Eerily familiar, and Alice begins to wonder if she is losing her mind, for that is Lizzie's voice. That is the Red Queen's voice, but it can't be, the Queen is dead.

Slowly, she looks down and realizes the image on the playing card is moving. The girl's painted eyes roll.

"Yes, it's me!" the Queen snaps. Alice almost releases the card in her shock, but manages to keep hold, her fingers biting into the edges, holding it steady.

"What do you want?" Alice asks, proud of how her voice remains calm. It is quite a shock, after all, to hear a playing card that features a girl you thought long dead talking to you. Then again, this is Wonderland...

"To be remembered," Lizzie says, a wistful note creeping into her voice. "It's happening already. People are forgetting. Trying to get on with their lives." A derisive snort of derision curls her painted lip. "Like it can all be swept under the rug!"

Alice remains still for a moment, curled up in the overly large throne. The Queen is right. Queensland lies forgotten. A relic of another time, even though it wasn't really that long ago. Even the grim horrors of the Infernal Train's menace are slowly fading to time (not that Alice can find much fault with that, she would prefer to put that as far behind her as she could, "condemned to repeat the past" and all that rot be damned!).

"I'm not sure how I can help you," Alice says, as reasonably as she can. "After all, they forget my...exploits as well."

"But they still know who you are!" Lizzie retorts. "If I am forgotten, you may rest assured things will not change...there will always be another Heart of Darkness, your own mind makes certain of that."

"All right, I shall try," Alice decides. "If nothing else, you were most helpful with the Infernal Train, and that should not be forgotten."

"Oh thank you," the Queen's voice drips with sarcasm, but Alice can detect a hint of something else in her eyes. Alice merely nods and tucks the card back into her apron pocket before carefully climbing down off the throne and setting off toward home.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sure things are slightly odd (particularly re: Lizzie being the Red Queen, etc.) But it was just a tiny plot bunny that hopped into my head. :3


End file.
